Fire alarm box attachment



Nov. 5, 1935. R. B. LONG ,& f 2,020,279

' FIRE ALARM BOX ATTACHMENT f Filed April 23, 1932 5 Sheets-sheaf 1 Nov. 5, 1935. R ONG 2,020,279

FIRE ALARM BOX ATTACHMENT v Filed April 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Nov. 5, 1935.

R. B, LONG FIRE ALARM BOX ATTACHMENT Filed April 25, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 L i I 1' IIIIIIII JVENTOR F; 7 $5 ,ofong Patented Nov. 5, 1935 FIRE ALARM Box ATTACHMENT Robert B. Long, Dayton, Ohio Application April 23, 1932, Serial No. 607,116

Claims.

This invention relates to a fire alarm signal box, and more particularly to a removable hand cuff attachment for a fire alarm box.

An object of this invention is to provide such I an attachment for fire alarm boxes that is operative in all weather conditions to determine who turned in the fire alarm.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device having a member or eaves for shedding water that permits the removal of a cuff irrespective of weather conditions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device that is cheap, efficient, safe and dependable.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown. I

In the drawings, Fig. 1 discloses a door of a fire alarm box. Fig. 2 discloses an attachment therefor. Fig. 3 is a rear view of a door for a fire alarm box. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the position of the movable parts disclosed in Fig. 3, in another position- Figs. 5 and 6 disclose fragmentary views of the attachment shown in Fig 2. Fig. '7 is atransverse sectional view taken on the center line 11 of the dis:

,8!) closure shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 in Fig, 3.

In the conventional fire alarm boxes there is found a fire alarm signal mechanism that is actuated by the reporter of the fire. $5 panying drawings thesignal mechanism includes the knob l0 rotatably mounted on a shaft l2 indirectly carried by the door [6 as more fully described later, and shieldedby the cover I 4 integral with the door,'thus protecting the signalling mechanism from the elements. Instead of a knob, any other suitable signaling device may be used, such as a lever or a button supported in any suitable manner.

The fire alarm is turned in to theme depart- }55 ment by actuating the signaling mechanism. In

the modification disclosed in the drawings, this is accomplished by turning the knob l8 that actuates lever 31 whichmayin turn actuate a mechanism, not shown, electrically or otherwise 50 connected to the fire station. J The attachment l8, disclosed in Fig. 2, is a removable closure provided with an opening 23, and located in the opening below the cover. The 010- sure l8f has a pair of gripping jaws 22 and 24, 55 that are released by a suitable mechanism to be In the accomdescribed later, so as to grip the wrist of the operator as he turns the knob l0, whereby the person making the alarm carries the closure Is v The shaft I2 is fixedly attached near one end of a lever 31 pivotally mounted on a stud 39 carried by the door. The cam 40 rotatably mounted upon the shaft I2 is connected to a sleeve I20 fixedly attached to the knob ID. This cam 43 10 engages a trigger 26 pivoted upon the stud 28 attached to the door and urged in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, by a spring 30. This trigger 26 prevents the spring 32, having one hooked to the stud 34 and the other end hooked l at 36 to a pawl 38, from rotating the pawl- 38 about its pivot I40 until the trigger 26 is actuated in a counter-clockwise direction, as more fully described later. j

When the sleeve I20 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, spring 3|, having one end hooked to'cam 4!] and the other end attached to member 38, urges cam 40 towards pin 33 carried by the door 16. When cam 40 is rotated so as to cause the pin 33 to register with 25 the notch 35, the cam and shaft l2 will move downwardly causing member 3! to rotate in a clockwise direction about the pin 39 which aotuates a suitable signaling system not disclosed, as the signaling system, per so, does not form any part of this invention. A pin 4| also carried by the door I6 provides a positive drive for causing a downward movement of cam 4!] and member 31. The slot 43 in the door It permits up and down movement of the shaft 12 and the parts carried thereby. V

When an alarm is turned in; the trigger 26 is actuated in a counter-clockwise direction by the cam 40, carried by the shaft l2, which causes the detent 42 to be moved in a counter-clockwise direction against the force of the spring 311, so as "to clear the projection 44, permitting the pawl 38 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivot I48 into the position disclosed in Fig. 4. The end 46 of the pawl 38 extends through a slot l l2 in the door l6. and through a slot 48 in the upper member 50 of the attachment 1 8, and is normally seated in the bifurcated end 52 of the lever 54 pivoted at 56 as best seen in Fig. 5. The lever 54 is provided with a detent 58 and a shoulder 68 that engage the gripping jaws 22 and 24, and the pivotally mounted arms 66 and 58 respectively.

As the end 46 of the pawl 38 is rotated in a "counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, F

the lever 54 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, permitting the gripper jaws 22 and 24 to advance toward each other and at the same time retract the pins I0 and 12 that are normally located in the pockets I4, shown in Fig. 1, permitting the door or closure I8 to drop out of position by rotating in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 7 rotating about the stud I30. The pins I0 and I2 are normally urged to the out position by a spring I3 carried on a support I5 by a screw II and attached to members 66 and 68 by suitable screws.

The gripping jaws 22 and 24 pivotally mounted at I 32 are urged into a closed position by a spring I6 gripping the wrist of the operator. The jaws 22 and 24 are held in this position by the dogs I8 and pivoted at 82 and biased by' a spring 84. The dogs I8 and 80 are shown in an operative position in full lines in Fig. 6, and in a released position in dotted lines.

A key 90, passing into the grippingjaw releasing mechanism 92 and rotated therein, causes member 94 to be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction into dotted position as viewed in Fig. 6, so as to engage the lever 96, pivotally mounted at 98 and carrying a pair of studs I00 and I02 that engage the ends I04 and I06 respectively of the dogs I8 and 80 so as to move these into the open position disclosed in dotted line position in Fig. 6, thereby permitting the gripper jaws 22 and 24 to be spread apart to release the hand.

When it is desirable to reinsert the closure or the cuff and after it has been released from the operator, the jaws 22 and 24 after being released by the key are manually spread into open position disclosed in Fig. 6 which permits member 54 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig 5. The detent 46 must also be moved from the dot-dash position disclosedin Fig. 3 to the full line position shown in the same figure. The

closure may then be inserted into the opening in the box by first placing the pin I30 in its aperture and then rotating the cuff in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. I, the studs I0 and 12 being retracted by engaging the arcuate edge of the eaves I35. As the studs III and I2 register with the apertures in the projections 14, these studs are spring urged into home position where they remain until the alarm is again turned in.

From the foregoing, it appears that a person turning in the alarm cannot escape without carrying the closure cuffed to his hand unless he has a key to unlock the gripping jaws. The purpose is to have the person making the signal report 'to the fire department to release the closure from From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but

- to operate the signal transmitting. device, said which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its ad.- vantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more to the specific details shown, but that the means 5 and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect and the invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its form or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the ap- 10 pended claims. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for identifying the operator of mechanism mounted substantially vertical on a support comprising an enclosure for said mech- 15 anism, said enclosure having a downwardly and I horizontally arranged opening through which the hand of a person may be inserted for operating said mechanism, a hand cuff having means for gripping the wrist 'of the operator, means-in said opening and on the ouif for detachably mounting said cuff in the opening, water shedding means cooperating with the opening to prevent water accumulating between the cuff and the; opening, means for releasing the cuff from its 25 support in the opening. and means operated by the operation of the mechanism for controlling the cuff gripping means and operating the cuff releasing means.

2. A device for identifying the operator of 30 mechanism mounted substantially vertical on a support comprising an. enclosure for said mechanism, said enclosure having a downwardly and horizontally arranged opening through which the hand of a person may be inserted for operating 35 said mechanism, a hand cuff having means for gripping the wrist of the operator, means wherevby said cuif is detachably mounted in said opening, water shedding means cooperating with the a opening to prevent water accumulating between 40 l the cuff and the opening, means for releasing the cuff from its support in the opening and means operated by the operation of the mechanism for ,controlling the cuifv gripping means and operat- ;ing the cuff releasing means. {5

3. A device for identifying the operator of fire alarm mechanism mounted on a support 1 comprising an enclosure for said mechanism having a downwardly and a substantially horizontally arranged opening through which the hand of a 50 person may be inserted for operating said mechanism, a hand cuif including a pair of gripper jaws for engaging the wrist of the operator, means for actuating and locking said jaws in closed po- 1*- sition, means whereby said cuff is detachably u mounted in said opening, water shedding means cooperating with the opening to prevent water accumulating between the cuff and the opening, and means operating in response to said mech-r anism for controlling the operationv of. said first Q0 means and releasing the detachably mounted cufi.

4. A device for identifying the operator of a fire alarm transmitting device, including the combi- 7 nation with the signal transmitting device, a 5 housing enclosing the signal transmitting device having a downwardly directed opening, a contractable hand cuff detachably mounted contiguous to said opening through which the op- V erators hand may be inserted into said housing 10 housing including water shedding means for protecting the cuff from the elements, detent means for releasably supporting the hand cuffrelative H to the housing opening and means controlled incident to the operation of the transmitting device for releasing the hand cufi and efiecting the contraction thereof upon the arm of the operator.

5. A device for identifying the operator of a fire alarm transmitting device including a combination with the signal transmitting device, an enclosure for the signal transmitting device having a downwardly directed opening, a contractable hand cuff detachably mounted contiguous to said opening through which the operators hand may be inserted into said enclosure to operate the signal transmitting device, means for actuating and locking the hand cuff in contracted position, said enclosure including water shedding means for protecting the cufi from the elements, means for releasably supporting the hand cufi relative to the closure opening and means controlled incident to the operation of the transmitting device for releasing the hand cuff and etfecting through said first means contraction thereof upon the arm of the operator.

ROBERT B. LONG. 

